NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A7772
SPONSOR: McDonough TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the agriculture and markets law, in relation to penal-
ties for theft of a companion animal
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
To increase the penalty for theft of a companion animal.
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1 amends section 366 of the agriculture and markets law by
increasing the penalty by fine from up to one thousand dollars to up to
five thousand dollars and the penalty by imprisonment from up to six
months to up to one year:
Section 2 sets forth the effective date.
JUSTIFICATION:
Many New Yorkers rely on pets for'emotional companionship. The current
penalties for theft of such companion anima are outdated and should be
increased to further deter individuals from committing theft of a
companion animal.
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
New bill.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:
None.
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall have
become a law.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
7772
2023-2024 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
June 15, 2023
___________
Introduced by M. of A. McDONOUGH -- read once and referred to the
Committee on Agriculture
AN ACT to amend the agriculture and markets law, in relation to penal-
ties for theft of a companion animal
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. The closing paragraph of section 366 of the agriculture
2 and markets law, as amended by chapter 185 of the laws of 2014, is
3 amended to read as follows:
4 Any person violating any of the provisions of this section, upon
5 conviction thereof, shall be punished by a fine not exceeding [one] five
6 thousand dollars, or by imprisonment not to exceed [six months] one
7 year, or by both.
8 § 2. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall
9 have become a law.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD11777-01-3
